Odisha government resumes land acquisition in tense POSCO project area

Paradip: Amid tension in proposed Posco plant area where three anti-project activists were killed on Saturday night while allegedly making bombs, the Odisha government on Sunday resumed land acquisition for the mega steel project. Police on Sunday recovered the three bodies and materials like gun powder and blades used for making explosives.

Jagatsinghpur SP Satyabrata Bhoi said three persons were killed and another was critically injured in the blast when members of Posco Pratirodh Sangram Samiti (PPSS) were making crude bombs at Patana village, a charge denied by the anti-project body. "Police have recovered the materials used for making crude bombs from the site," Bhoi said, adding the bodies were sent for postmortem, while the injured was rushed to SCB Medical College Hospital in Cuttack in critical state.

While tension prevailed in the area, three betel vines were demolished in the presence of top officials at Gobindpur village as Jagatsinghpur district administration resumed the land acquisition process, a senior official said. "Betel vines of Krupasindhu Dalai, Ranjan Barman and Subrat Swain were acquired by the administration during the day and the process of land acquisition will continue," district Collector SK Mallick said.

Police on Sunday recovered the bodies of three anti-project activists who were killed while allegedly making bombs.

Meanwhile, Bhoi claimed the bombs were intended to be used against the police and supporters of the proposed mega steel plant. However, Nachia Mandal of Gobindpur, who was injured in the blast, claimed that unidentified persons hurled two bombs at him and others when they were standing near a pond at Patana village.

While police claimed it had gathered evidence showing the explosion took place during bomb making, PPSS alleged that some miscreants hurled bombs on its activists. PPSS president Abhay Sahu claimed the attackers had targeted the house where he stays at Patana which was rejected by the police.